The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-12-23
THE OLD TUNE-B0OK.
It's "reminiscences Of Hiram's
New England Boyhood.

One day Hiram Atkins stopped into
n secondhand book store at the corner,
and was fumbIing over lot of old
volumes that had been placarded 'For
Sale Cheap" Hiram had passion
for quaint old books, and many time
for mere trife he had bought litera-
ture that no money could have induced
him to part with. And now, as he
rummaged among the musty volumes,
ne beard a piping voice that startled
him strangely.
"Waal, meow, if it amt Hi Atkins!
But, sakes alive! how he has filled
eout!'
This was what the voice said, and
the shrill tones took Hiram Atkins
away back over the years, and over the
hills, and over the rivers, and it seemed
to him as It he were boy again-a
ruddy little boy in a prim Vermont
village among the rugged hills
'Gee whillikins!n said Hiram. "lt's
u Carminy Sacry! Yes, an its the
very same Carminy used to sing eout
of when belonged to the choirr'
30 it was; the same green-b backed,
oblong book of church music which
Hiram's grandmother had bought for
him when he was boy and began 90
ing to singing school. That was many
years ago, and times were all different
now. Hiram Atkins was no longer a
boy; battling in this great noisy West
ern world had brought wrinkles to his
face, and the years had left traces of
their frosts and snow in his hair. The
Carmina Sacra, too, was changed; once
it had been bright and fresh and new,
but now it was faded and ragged.
Fully one-half of its green Dashboard
covers were missing.
'Didn't know me at fust, did yep''
asked the Carmina. 'Waal, times hev
gone powerful hard with me, and
guess | amt of much more account
nohow Why, when your gran'ma
bought me | cost her dollar m half,
but meow I'm chucked inter this ere
basket with a lot O. vain, frivolous,
secular trash that's goin' at u nine
pence apiece"
The old tune-book sighed grievously.
To Hiram Atkins it did seem like
Dissertation. This old tune-book was
one of the first books he had ever held
i'll his hands-with the exception of his
New England primer, his catechism
and his Bible-it was the first.
I'm buy ye; darned if Idon'tr cried
Hiram. "I'H buy We, if it takes the
last boss dads gotr'
And he did buy the old Carmina
Sacra, although it cost him only two
York shillings, and not spirited Nor.
gan, as you might suppose.
Hiram took the Carmina home with
him, and that evening they talked
over old times together; that is to say,
as Hiram turned over the leaves of the
quaint old book and saw the familiar
hymns and psalms and anthems, the
tunes seemed to talk with him and hum
to him, and he could see faces and heal
voices he had not seen nor heard in
many years.
You wuz q little boy them" sale
Brattle Street; your legs wuz chubby
an your cheeks wuz rosy, an yor
wore cunnin' blue jacket to which
your trousers wuz buttoned with brass
buttons, Sometimes when it wuz
cold you wore tippet and a cap thai
had ear-lappets on it; your yarn NIT
tens wuz hitched together with lone
tape to keep you from losin' of 'em
Ough! but what alfred cold weather
we used ter have on the west side OF
the mountain, eh?n
'Waal, meow, | he'd almost forgotten
1t, said Hiram, musingly.
Eye hedP" exclaimed Denis; "an' W
don't remember the oil meetin' house
nuther do YEP"
'Indeed, l do" said Hiram, san
remember the little blue jacket will
brass buttons best of all, but had for
gotten whether the winters wuz so very
cold or not"
"Waal, declare for't!" cried Brat
tie Street. THAT beats all natur'
An we've forgot yer poor OF gran ma
too, haint YEP"
"Oh, no, said Hiram, solemnly. {.
could never forget dear OF gran ma
though she's been dead many, man,
years.
jest as like as not We reekollec
how We use ter bring her foot-stove te
meetin' for her ev'ry Sunday in winte
time?"
Yes 1 reekollect it meow" sait
Hiram, smiling. cit was a crazy Ole
atfair-a zinc box in a wooden frame
punched full o holes, with small irol
pan inside. hated it then, cause tn,
Newton boys an the others made fun
o me fur carryin' it fur gran 'ma-gol
darn me! I'd carry it all over creation
fur her neoW!"
eye used ter stop in the vestry an
fill the pan with Goals out er the stove, :
said Dennis IAN then you'd carry
upstairs an set it under the pew-d,
you remember the pew near the pulp
an so gran'ma's feet wuz warm al
through meetin', while you set in TIN
other corner NV the pew, shiverin' lik,
calves-foot Jelly, an wonderful why tn
minister's prayers wuz alters longer il
winter than in summer"
II reekollect it ALL" said Hiram
Seems like / could see gran'ma nov
settin' in the OF meetin' house; an
can see the big, black velvet bag, to
the bag she carried swung by broa
satin ribbons on her arm. The bay
hez religious flowers embroidered o.